Earlier today, I signed a 3 year contract with a new merchant service company for my Dad’s business. In our meeting room, we got the paperwork filled out, and as she put it away, I then asked her a silly question… I asked her how the compensation for Merchant Accounts (credit card processing companies) differed from the compensation for Realtors and mortgage people. I wasn’t surprised to learn that she made a decent month’s wages on our account alone.

And she got us from cold calling us.

We’d been cold called before by other Merchant Account companies, and I’d told each one that I didn’t have a copy of the statement, but that I could fax them one. Each one left a business card, and on each one, I never got around to faxing them a copy of the statement. Maybe unconsciously it was intentional. This woman, however, was the first one to call me back and ask where the fax was. The very first one!

I digress… This woman got our business, and a decent month’s pay, all by cold calling.

Was this the woman’s first month on the job? No, she was a seasoned pro. She was cold calling because it worked.

Would you do cold calls if it meant that your real estate business was guaranteed some action?

Cold calling does work.! Most anyone will tell you this, and you probably know or believe it at some level. Granted, it isn’t the most efficient, and I think you know that already too. In fact the fact that it’s slow, hard, inefficient and uncomfortable is a very loud message, while the fact that it works is somewhat quiet and can more easily be ignored.

Sure it’s preferable to get leads by referral only, come through your internet marketing, or to have the customer call you… But at first, or when you have no more successful activity planned, some shoes on the pavement is just the thing called for.

Some successful Real Estate Cold Calling Techniques:

Determine ahead of time how many people you will contact or talk to - and stick to it!

Have realistic expectations - but have expectations! Having realistic expectations will help you endure rejection, but having expectations that you will find someone each day that you’ll be able to help in some form or another, this will help push you onward.